Talkin' Tarot with Andrew McGregor

Talkin’ Tarot With is a monthly feature designed to introduce my readers to different tarot readers from our wonderfully diverse community! Each month, I’ll be asking various tarot readers 3 questions about their tarot philosophy and style, plus pointing you to their websites and blogs so that you can learn more about them! I like to hand pick tarot readers that I feel are talented and interesting.

You know those people that you meet and feel like you can instantly trust them? Andrew McGregor of The Hermit’s Lamp is one of those peeps. I met him a few years ago at a tarot conference and felt instantly at ease. Kinda like we were old pals from back in the day (past lives?). In person, he’s exactly how he is online: chill, earnest, and about as real as it gets.

I’m not the only one who feels this way. Behind the scenes, word on the tarot street is that Andrew is a top notch tarot reader and one hell of a guy. I’m not sure if he knows that there is a fan base of tarot pros who look up to him. It’s that trustworthiness and the utter professionalism that makes him stand out as a leader in our industry.

Andrew says that he has “always been interested in the spiritual side of life” and received his first tarot deck from his grandmother, who supported his interest in all things “mystical, weird, or macabre.” He’s been reading the cards every since. Spiritual work, magick and channeling are other services he offers at his shop, The Hermit’s Lamp, which he has been operating for a few years. The Hermit’s Lamp is Toronto’s premier place for all your metaphysical needs – classes, readings, and the best spiritual tools. (Canadians – you are lucky!)

In addition to tarot and the mystical arts, Andrew is also a talented graphic artist. He does cool “magickal portraits” which shows people how he sees them (auras, colors and spirits).

If you’re looking for a straight-up tarot reading served with a side of magic, or are interested in getting your own magickal portrait done, look him up. And if you’re in Toronto, be sure to visit The Hermit’s Lamp – your new one stop ritual shop.

I’m delighted and honored to call Andrew a peer…and a friend.

Here are some of the current projects he’s serving up:

Mercury Retrograde Reboot Three times a year Mercury goes retrograde and things seem to go haywire. At least this is the part of the story most people know. The part that is rarely talked about is that this is also an invitation to examine what is working, what is not, and course correct where your life is going. This 25-day project incorporates magick, art, and divination to access the wisdom of Mercury retrograde. The fun starts August 30th.

http://www.thehermitslamp.com/mercuryreboot/

Magickal Portraits “When I tell people that I can see auras and spirits they tend to get super curious about how I see them personally. What is in their aura? What colours? Are their spirits there?” These portraits step out of time and space as we know it, showing both the past and the future self. They are an invocation of the highest aspects of who you are beyond all the day-to-day aspects. Creating them is a magickal act and they are a talisman that will shift your life towards the energies you need to grow into to make the most of your life.

http://www.thehermitslamp.com/magickal-portraits/

The Hermit’s Lamp Podcast 52 episodes of deep honest conversations with readers, mystics, and magicians. You can find episodes on many of life challenges and with lots of the people you know and love – and some you probably haven’t realized you are into yet.

thehermitslamp.com/podcasts

Bio:

Andrew McGregor is an artist, tarot reader, podcaster and magician. He runs an old fashion brick and mortar store in Toronto, and online, called The Hermit’s Lamp. Andrew’s journey into reading started at 13 when his Nan bought him his first deck. After almost dying at 14 in a serious accident he has been on a search to understand the nature of life, the universe and everything ever since.

You can find him at these magical online + offline establishments:

thehermitslamp.com
Physical store in Toronto or shipping online everywhere
@thehermitslamp on Instagram
Facebook.com/thehermitslamp

Check out his fabulous answers to my questions below:

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Q: What is your philosophy about tarot reading?

Andrew: Step outside of time with me. Sit your soul down next to mine for a bit and let’s talk about what is going on. In your ancestry and lineage, in your splendid heart, and in the things governed by the turning of the clock. Let’s bask here in the eternal, so rich in perspective, and witness the truth of where you are at in the now, and the roads you might travel from here. Let us allow the eternal itself to sing of who you are beyond the ebb and flow of days. Let us plug into that boundless source – calling into being health, happiness, success, and wholeness as you return from our time together back into the land of days.

Tarot for me is a machine that runs on mystery and spits out truth. It contains infinite possibilities. Within any given reading almost anything is knowable. It is a multidimensional process that exists at the intersection of magick, psychology, and art. Flowing freely between these labels as needed. Working together to see the state of things as they are. Showing the client where their power and choices lay.

Reading the cards for me is about bringing the whole of my being to the process and welcoming all the parts of the client that want to show up too. When engaged in regularly over a period of time we can use tarot to make vast changes in your life. Together we can heal the past, make clear decisions in the present, and see or shape the future.

Q: How do you feel a client might get the most out of a reading with you?

Andrew: Showing up and being present is the most important step.

Loosen your identities for the duration of the reading. Most people who come in have already done work on their own, or with other readers or healers, which is awesome. It may be great to know your birth cards, astrology, or that you are an Indigo child. However, if those identities haven’t already resolved an issue then they might not be helpful or relevant. You are a mystery in the most wonderful of ways and if we honour that mystery by not limiting it then we can achieve almost anything.

In choosing to work with me you are choosing an open-ended way of working. We might dig into some psychological challenge you have. Or perhaps we’ll explore a multi-generational inheritance and look at what rituals you might do to heal it. The reading might invite you to share a dream for us to analyze. Your ancestors might speak, or need attention. Your energy might be craving a tune up. Your astrology might be giving you the gears. A past life might be spilling over into this one. Or your spirit guides might be offering some sage advice. Work to be open to what surfaces.

I like to offer people all the tools and approaches that seem helpful both in the reading and as homework.

For people with long-standing issues, big aspirations, and/or a desire to live a more magickal life I also offer the possibility of working together on an ongoing basis.

Q: What is your best piece of advice for an aspiring tarot reader?

Andrew: A successful tarot business needs to be built on honesty with yourself and your clients. Be super honest with people. Like really way down deep uncomfortable honest with people.

If you don’t feel comfortable with a question someone asks just say so.

If you don’t dig reading for them then don’t.

If you feel the pressure around a question is too much say so.

As a reader we sometimes have a better perspective on the questions being asked than the person doing the asking. There are many questions about people not present at the reading that can be helpful. Such as, “What do I need to know about this person if I am going to start a business with them?” or, “What can I do to support my child through this?” However, there are times asking about other people is obsessive and might even be part of what is stopping the querent’s growth or healing. Asking about the ex’s new lover is the most common on that list. Kindly telling people that their question is unhelpful, might encourage stuckness, or is a bit creepy might be the most loving thing you can do in that situation.

If you think something isn’t in your toolbox admit it. I am no good at helping people find objects using the cards, am only an amateur Lenormand reader, and am not a palm reader at all.

Finally – keep learning and growing. If you hear about something other readers are doing that perplexes you, even if you don’t want to offer it yourself, dig in. At one point I was very curious about the clients coming in with these wonder stories from medical intuitives. I just could not understand how those healers were getting their information. So I spent about six months exploring and practicing different approaches, which eventually led to me learning how to recognize subtler issues in the auras of people sitting in front of me. I don’t offer it as a service specifically now, but it helped me grow tremendously.

And that eternal timeless part I opened with? Whether you are a reader or getting a reading make time to check in with it yourself. It is always there when you need it. To help you check your directions, restore and balance you, and to ease your heart and mind. It is waiting patiently in case you need it.

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Big props to Andrew for making time to talk tarot with me! Get into his magickal world right here: The Hermit’s Lamp.

Blessings!

Theresa